President Donald Trump and his top advisers are quietly preparing to travel to South Korea in October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers’ meeting, according to three Trump administration officials.
The summit, which will be held in Gyeongju between late October and early November, is viewed as a critical opportunity for Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The officials stated that there have been serious discussions about holding a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of APEC, but no firm plans have been made. In a phone call last month, Xi invited Trump and his wife to visit China, which the US president accepted, though no dates have been set.
Details are still being finalized, and it is unclear whether the president will make additional stops on the trip. Officials said the administration sees it as an opportunity for the president to secure more economic investments in the United States, which has been a key focus of his recent trips abroad, including trips to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
“A visit to South Korea is being discussed, with a focus on economic cooperation,” a White House official told CNN. Other goals include focusing on trade, defense, and civil nuclear cooperation, according to the official.
Trump’s presence in the region may also put him in a position to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again, though whether Kim will attend remains to be seen. Officials say more emphasis is being placed on arranging a possible meeting with Xi.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung invited Trump to the APEC summit during a meeting with him last week, suggesting that the setting could provide Trump with an opportunity to meet with Kim, according to sources familiar with the talks.
While speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Trump expressed his willingness to meet with Kim.
“I’ll do it, and we’ll talk. “He’d like to meet with me,” Trump said of the North Korean leader. “We look forward to meeting with him, and we’ll make relations better.”
The president’s expected trip to South Korea comes at a critical juncture in his relationship with both Xi and Kim.
Xi hosted Kim, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Beijing this week, which Trump repeatedly criticized despite his frequent claims that he has strong personal ties with all three leaders. The meeting was held in conjunction with China’s military parade, which is a significant display of its military capabilities.
“May President Xi and the people of China have a wonderful and long-lasting day of celebration. “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America,” Trump wrote on social media as the parade began.
On Friday, Trump posted a photo of Xi, Putin, and Modi, captioned “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China.” May they enjoy a long and prosperous future together!”
While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office this week, he claimed that the military parade was intended in part for him to attend, which he did.
“I understood the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching — and I was watching,” Trump claimed, describing it as a “beautiful ceremony” so “very impressive.”
“My relationship with all of them is excellent. “We’ll find out how good it is in the next week or two,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Poland’s president.
A potential meeting with Xi comes as Washington and Beijing have clashed over Trump’s tariffs, with China a key target of his administration’s trade policy.
US and Chinese officials have been negotiating a trade agreement, including two in-person meetings with top economic advisers from both countries in Europe. The president has postponed higher US tariffs on Chinese goods from returning to their peak in April, when the trade war between the world’s two largest economies was at its most intense, while talks continue.
Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports in April, and China responded with a 125% tariff on US goods.
Tariffs were scheduled to resume last month, but Trump issued an executive order postponing the higher rates until November.
While it is unclear whether Trump and Kim will meet, a New York Times report on Friday about an unsuccessful 2019 Navy SEAL mission that killed unarmed North Koreans would likely strain relations between the two leaders. Trump claimed Friday that he knew nothing about the situation.
“I know nothing about it. “I could look, but I know nothing about it,” he admitted.
